Disney Acquires Lucasfilm, Reveals Plans for Star Wars: Episode 7 in...
Dan
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Brisbane, Queensland
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Adding another huge brand and production arm to their empire, at no small price, Disney has today announced the US$4.05 Billion acquisition of Lucasfilm --the entire umbrella of companies that includes the Star Wars franchise, it's film and animation arms, effects house Industrial Light & Magic, and videogame publisher and developer LucasArts (thanks Mental).
Accompanying news of the purchase, is Disney's plans to continue the core Star Wars film saga with a Star Wars: Episode 7 targeting a 2015 release.
"For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next," said George Lucas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilm. "It's now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I've always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I'm confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come. Disney's reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products."
...Kathleen Kennedy, current Co-Chairman of Lucasfilm, will become President of Lucasfilm, reporting to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. Additionally she will serve as the brand manager for Star Wars, working directly with Disney's global lines of business to build, further integrate, and maximize the value of this global franchise. Ms. Kennedy will serve as executive producer on new Star Wars feature films, with George Lucas serving as creative consultant. Star Wars Episode 7 is targeted for release in 2015, with more feature films expected to continue the Star Wars saga and grow the franchise well into the future.
It's unclear how this development might impact the videogame side of things, with Lucasarts currently working on the intriguing Star Wars 1313. However, we do hope that it results in the company loosening up on it's classic IP, so we can see all of those classic Lucasarts adventure games finally come to Gog.com.
Yeah, will definitely watch, I enjoyed ep1-3, not quite as much as 4-6, apart from jar jar. Guess I shouldny be too surprised, when George Lucas says no it usually ends up a yes.
I'm keen, even if they're not great. Seeing some live action star wars, thankfully by new directors, may not be great, but it probably won't make things any worse. ;)
Weve already seen what Disney type characters look like in the star wars universe..... Jar jar binks. I dont think things could get any worse but i have serious doubts itll get any better either.
If they got a dream team together of Lawrence Kasdan writing, Peter Jackson/Christopher Nolan/Steven Spielberg directing, and George Lucas in a soundproof room with a set of crayons and colouring books then we could have a movie here.
I hear Disney is going to try and save the John Carter franchise. In his next adventure he is teleported to some out of the way back water planet call Tatooine or something.
Disney made Tron Legacy, and I liked that. And despite it being a box office flop I liked John Carter as well, so they could actually suprise everyone and make a decent Star Wars movie, especially without George Lucas helming it.
But yeah, its not like they could make it any worse.
I don't like the EU (expanded universe) after Episode 6. LucasFilm may have signed off on the book about the time after EP6 and consider it cannon but I do not. Just have to wait and see what they do exactly. Making 7-9 would have been a good idea back in the 80s but all the actors now are old, replacing them with new actors will not feel right.
What they should do is make films in the KOTOR era, there is plenty of stuff there now to use and more to create.
If they got a dream team together of Lawrence Kasdan writing, Peter Jackson/Christopher Nolan/Steven Spielberg directing, and George Lucas in a soundproof room with a set of crayons and colouring books then we could have a movie here.
Yeah, that scene was good, would have been better if it wasn't interspersed with shitty annakin bits though. Also, the way Darth Maul dies is dumb, he just stands there like a noob watching Obi Wan pull his lightsaber over, leap out of the pit, flip over him and cut him in half. Hes sposed to be this uber badass guy with mad skills, then suddenly he becomes a noob with the reaction time of a sloth.
It is funny how after all the times GL has been so adamant that 7, 8, and 9 don't need to exist as the Skywalker story is complete, he now comes out and says he's been writing them. Says it himself in the Corporate handover vid:
If the movies will not be about Skywalker and the gang, then this may be good after all. They could go KOTOR or other stories during the Galactic civil war or Jango/Boba Fett. Who wouldn't like a movie about Jango Fett taking names and kicking arse.
[Shock troopers are searching for the body of Yoda]
Clone Commander Thire: There is no sign of his body, sir.
Mas Amedda: Then he is not dead?
The Emperor: Double your search!
In star wars, if someone falls a long way, but you don't see where they wound up, they probably made it...
Er he exploded and all the dark spirits flew out of him.
He could have ruptured a gas pipe on his way down and then lightning farted out his arse and caused an assplosion.
Super awesome, and sigh at the comments about how he's giving 'lazy people handouts', that lot is getting crazier by the year >_<.
In star wars, if someone falls a long way, but you don't see where they wound up, they probably made it...
Heh, they brought back darth maul from episode 1 in the tv show, despite lucas saying something like he was chopped in half so that people knew that he was definitely dead. Afaik the books also bring the emperor back. I sort of hope that episode 7 doesn't follow some of those books...
From what I remember of the EU, he is dead but Palpatine has several clones in production around this time. The empire is still a threat after the battle of Endor and the Moffs or who ever are fighting over whats left.
They would be twits not to include the OT cast (who are all still kicking around) and have a similar time difference between six and seven as there was between three and four. Though obviously some of them will need to go on diets to look presentable.
The skywalkers probably can't pull it off, but Harrison Ford and C3PO are still kicking. It's going to mean no Yoda/Vader/etc, personally I'm hoping that they come up with an entirely new story just set in the same universe, and stop the repetitive nature of the whole SW franchise. If I wasn't dead and bitter on the inside, I'd even be excited!
I can't imagine the money they'd need to throw at Ford to make that happen. If they own a license to use his image maybe they coudl just do a Jar Jar on him.
I don't think that's true, since they still used cover art that resembles Harrison Ford, and they even included Han Solo as an unlockable character in Staff of Kings. Last I checked Ford was still willing to appear in a fifth Indy movie too.
I disagree. It's not like either of them have left the business. Mark Hamill has been kicking arse as The Joker in all the animated Batman stuff as well as the games. Carrie Fisher is doing stand up comedy. They have both done the occasional movie too.
I disagree. It's not like either of them have left the business. Mark Hamill has been kicking arse as The Joker in all the animated Batman stuff as well as the games. Carrie Fisher is doing stand up comedy. They have both done the occasional movie too.last edited by dais at 23:10:12 01/Nov/12
I just mean visually :P. Mark Hamill's definitely been kicking ass in all sorts of things, e.g.:
Star Wars is kind of the Skywalker family story, but there is so much more to it expanded on in books, comics and the other TV series they've done. Calling it Episode 7 does indeed sound like it will definitely involve the Skywalkers.
I agree, this story should be left and they should do something else. There is enough expanded universe content out there to make movies for the next 100 years as GL says - they shouldn't need to directly have the Skywalker family in it to succeed hopefully. It's kind of unsettling how quickly they've decided to throw together the movie too. Either way, they will have my money in 2015.
Paul Verhoeven would be an interesting choice to say the least.
One of the biggest flaws with the prequels were their over-reliance on CGI over practical effects. If they could get the mob who worked on the LOTR movies visual effects I would be very happy.
One of the biggest flaws with the prequels were their over-reliance on CGI over practical effects. If they could get the mob who worked on the LOTR movies visual effects I would be very happy.
weta? they used a combination of CGI and bigatures for the environments in LOTR.
they're not using bigatures for the hobbit afaik.
i wonder what the cost difference is between practical effects and CGI.
Any future "Star Wars" movies can eat a sizable cock IMHO.
*Spoiler tags added ahead in case you are easily offended by my 'graphic yet accurate' description.
The only three movies that belong in the canon are the OG 'unfiddled with' versions of Star Wars: A New Hope, Empire and Return. The dinosaurs in the desert can fuck right off and as for the rest of the Spoiler: abortion clinic dumpster rejects, well I think you might be able to guess what George Lucas can do with those.
Anyone who thinks otherwise is either too young to understand or doesn't care enough about the movies of their childhood to comment. Either way, I feel sorry for your mother(s).
Anyone who thinks otherwise is either too young to understand or doesn't care enough about the movies of their childhood to comment. Either way, I feel sorry for your mother(s)
im glad there is someone like you to tell everyone how we should feel about movies
im glad there is someone like you to tell everyone how we should feel about movies
You're welcome.
lol Incred Vege has no idea, but it's OK.
Ep 1-3 fanboi? Worse than Hitler. Doom avatar? Slightly redeemed.
Ok I get it that there is a bunch of books and assorted rubbish that "flesh out" the Star Wars universe but frankly I don't care. The canon is the three movies. Everything else is an afterthought and glorified fan fiction. Star Wars is a time and a place (at least for me it is). Not some rotund foam-lipped mouth breather's 'take' on Vader's grandad or a snapshot of Ewok folklore.
I'm with him. I refuse to admit any of the star wars movies exist apart from the original 3 and before they were "remastered" (read: fucked with by CGI hungry clowns).
So how do you guys feel about Caravan of Courage and Battle for Endor given Lucas was involved with both and they're well before his CG tampering. I know they're not technically Star Wars movies but they're about as close as you'll get and roughly within the same time period of the original trilogy. I always thought Caravan of Courage was a pretty good kids movie but I hated Battle for Endor even when it came out, probably because I always thought the title was very misleading.
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